Safetypin



Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to safety pins and more particularly to such a pin which is safe even when its parts are in their normally open position. Safety pins of the common type now in use are 5 normally wide open with the pin points exposed and these exposed points are a source of constant danger. Cases of such open safety pins being swallowed by children, infection received from these exposed points especially in hospitals, and like accidents, are of common occurrence. One object of my invention is the production of a safety pin wherein the pin point is normally shielded against exposure by the safety pin guard even when the pin is not latched to closed position.

My improved safety pin includes a body portion and a pin portion formed from a single piece of wire bent into a resilient loop at the junction of these two portions, and a further feature of the invention consists in so forming the loop that itwill at all times tend to move the pin to the closed position whereas the loop of the common safety pin now in use tends normally to move the pin to the open position, the pin point thus being guarded at all times and thereby eliminating the constant danger above referred to.

Another feature of my invention resides in a releasable latch for engaging and securing the pin in closed position against the stress of pull or load when in use. When the present commonly known safety pin is to be released and opened, it is necessary to get beneath and press the pin portion toward the body portion, which operation is inconvenient especially when the pin is deeply set within the fabric secured. My invention contemplates the employment of an element adjacent to the rear or body portion of the pin for releasing the latch whereby the pin may be opened and withdrawn from the fabric merely by grasping and compressing the exposed body portion.

While my improved safety pin may be made from such material and such pieces as may be found most economical and satisfactory, I con.- template, as one feature of the invention, to make the same from a single piece of wire bent to such positions as to provide the various elements mentioned herein.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which,-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a safety pin embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figs. 3-6 inclusive are end views of the guard end showing thepin point in various positions relative to the guard,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1---! 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the pin in use and showing the releasing operation,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention.

My improved safety pin comprises a rear body portion I0, a pin portion I2, an annular loop I4 joining these portions, a guard I5, a releasable latch I6, and means I8 at the rear for releasing the latch. While I have herein preferred to show the safety pin, including all these elements, formed from a single piece of wire, it will be understood that the invention is not thus limited and the construction can be modified as may be found desirable. The two portions I0 and I2 are substantially parallel and are connected by the resilient loop I4. The other end of the pin portion I2 is sharpened to a point at 20 and the other end of the portion I0 is carried forwardly and looped to provide parallel elements forming the guard I 5. From the guard I5 the wire is carried back to form parallel elements comprising releasing means I8 and is looped around the portion I0 at 22 and 24. From the loop 24 the end of the wire is carried into the guard and formed into the latch hook I6.

The safety pin is so formed that the pin 20 of the portion I2 is normally within and shielded by the guard I5, and to facilitate and maintain this relationship the loop I4 is preferably so constructed that opening up of the loop moves the portions I0 and I2 toward each other. It will be noted that these portions extend transversely toward each other adjacent to the loop and from thence merge into and around the loop. The safety pin now in common use has its resilient loop so arranged that opening up of the loop moves the two pin portions away from each other. Continued use of such safety pins causes the pin portions gradually to take a normal position further diverging from each other. This modified position of these elements would be objectionable in my improved safety pin since it would cause the point 20 normally to take a position outside the guard I5. Constructing the loop as illustrated in the drawing eliminates this objectionable possibility.

Thus in my improved safety pin the point 20 is normally shielded within the guard regardless of whether or not the pin is latched to closed position. The various possible normal positions of the pin are illustrated in Figs. 3-6. In Fig. 3 the latch I6 is closed over the pin, thus holding the pin positively closed. In Fig. 4 the latch is withdrawn but the pin normally remains within the guard. In Fig. 5 the pin rests in unlatched position upon the latch [6. In Fig. 6 the pin is illustrated in its two possible positions on opposite sides but within the shielding outline of the guard.

In Fig. 8 the pin is extended through afabric 25, and, to release this pin, it is only necessary to grasp and compress the elements l8. This action withdraws the latch I6 and permits the pin to be freely withdrawn from the fabric, In a order to release common safety pins heretofore in common use it is necessary toget beneath and press the pin portion toward the body portion and this operation is quite inconvenient especially when the pin is deeply set within the fabric secured. I

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated a somewhat'modifled form of the invention. The body and pin portions ['0' and I2 and the guard l5 are substantially the same as is illustrated in Figs. 1-8. The latch however, is formed by winding the wire around the body portion at 28, projecting the same laterally at 30 and fromthence inwardly of the guard to form the latch hook 32. The portion 30 provides a releasing element which upon being compressed laterally toward the body portion moves the latch to the disengaged position.

It will now be apparent that I have produced a new safety pin in which the pin point is never exposed when the pin is in any of its normal positions. This invention entirely eliminates the constant danger of swallowing "open safety pins always present with the use of safety pins heretofore known. Furthermore, it is well known that many serious infections are caused, especially in hospitals, by slight pricks or injuries received from used safety pins. My invention wholly eliminates this danger. The prior known safety pins are difficult to release and remove particularly where a considerable amount of fabric is enclosed within the pin, whereas the releasing elements IS on my improved pin not only provide for convenient release and removal of the pin, but also provide a gripping and holding means when inserting the pin. The reversely. arranged loop I4 also assures that the pin shall remain normally shielded within the guard regardless of the extent of use of the pin.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A safety pin comprising a single piece of wire formed into a body portion, a pin portion and a guard, and a latch hook mounted for movement laterally of said body portion and adapted to engage and secure the sharpened end of the pin portion within the guard and against movement outwardly of the body portion, the pin portion being normally and resiliently in such posit-ion relative to the guard that the guard protects the free sharpened end of the pin from exposure.

2. A safety pin comprising a single piece of wire formed into a body portion, a pin portion and a guard, a latch hook mounted for movement laterally of said body portion and adapted to engage and secure the sharpened end of the pin portion within the guard and against movement outwardly of the body portion, and means adjacent to the body portion and rearwardly of the pin portion for moving the hook laterally out of the plane of opening movement of the pin portion, the pin portion'being normally and resiliently in such position relative to the guard that'theguard protects the free sharpened end of the pin from exposure. I

' ANGUS A. MARTIN. 

